A few short months ago Steve Lombardozzi was considered important enough to net a top-flight starting pitcher in a trade. Then, a little after that, he was only good enough to net a veteran infielder who wasn’t going to make a big league roster (and who was subsequently released). Now he’s a waste of 25-man roster space: he was just optioned to Triple-A to make room for Manny Machado.

Jokes aside, it is somewhat surprising that it was Lombardozzi who got the boot. He hasn’t been tearing up the pea patch, but he has been considerably better than Ryan Flaherty in around the same number of plate appearances. And while Jonathan Schoop has been a bit better than Lombardozzi, it was Lombo who was getting more time at second base than Schoop, who had mostly been covering third.

Not a big difference one way or the other, of course. But it’s kinda odd to think how far Lombardozzi has fallen in terms of perception in the past year.

Loved Lombardozzi the Younger’s hustle, but the Nats don’t have a place for him anymore. Danny Espinosa has had a career rejuvenation at 2B (while Ryan Zimmerman is out and Anthony Rendon plays 3B), and Kevin Frandsen fits nicely as a utility guy.

Meanwhile, the Tigers dumped the guy they got for trading Lombardozzi (Alex Gonzalez), and the guy they traded to get Lombardozzi (Doug Fister) returns. Though there is hope, as Robbie Ray is pitching well at Toledo, and gets a spot start for the Tigers.

I think it comes down to Weeks having arguably better on-base skills. Hard to have worse on-base skills than Lombo. Duquette’s been trying to improve the lineup’s OBP since he got to Baltimore. A utility infielder is what he has to show for it.

I would love to know what dirt Flaherty has on Buck, Duquette or even the Angelos’. Maybe he has a recording of a racial rant as well…

paperlions - May 1, 2014 at 3:52 PM

Apparently, every team has their own version of Daniel Descalso…a player that never provides any value, is below average at everything, yet stays on the roster year after year often getting important ABs.

Hardy has been ailing quite a bit early in the year, and even if Flaherty is struggling at the plate he’s the only one of these guys* who can play shortstop at a reasonable level. Schoop needs to play everyday wherever he is, so there really isn’t a place for Steve.

*Obviously I’m not counting Machado himself, since the team will want to keep him at third as much as possible unless and until Hardy is out for a significant period or leaves the team.

This post makes it sound like Lombardozzi was the key player in the Fister deal—-he wasn’t.
The Tigers regarded Ian Krol and Robbie Ray as the key players…Lombadozzi was the throw-in
Krol been so-so in the pen so far. Ray has been doing great in AAA and will be brought up
to make his MLB debut vs. Houston on Tuesday….

Yup, completely disingenuous comment as anyone that follows that trade, the Tigers or baseball, like Craig should more closely apparently, knows it was Ray as the centerpiece and Lombo as the fungible MI throw in.

Slow day? Bored? Not feeling creative? Because that was a pretty lazy attempt at trolling/stirring the pot/hyperbole/whatever the heck you were trying to do.

It’s really not that hard to understand… Flaherty is flexible enough to play all 4 infield positions and can play the OF. I understand he isn’t hitting well, but he is the ultimate utility player which is important to have on the roster especially with the injuries the O’s have had early on.

Agreed, except that Hardy is due to be a free agent after this season. If the O’s do sign Hardy to an extension (which I sincerely hope happens), then I’m all for keeping Machado at 3B and the tandem together. If the O’s choose to let Hardy walk (booooooooooo), then Machado can move to his native SS position.

That…..is ridiculous. He would also be a top SS as well, and SS is a more valuable position defensively. Having his glove at short and his bat in the lineup at short is a massive upgrade over virtually every other team in the league. Given that short is more critical than third, if he’s as good defensively there as he is at the hot corner, its a no-brainer to make the switch. If anything, Hardy is the guy you ask to go to third, he’s not nearly the defender at short that Machado would be.

What a ride for Lombo. It was a bad trade for the Tigers to give up Fister (we’ll see how Robbie Ray looks in his first start, though), and an even worse trade to give him up for 1999 All-Star. Rough road, but wish him the best.

Actually Robbie Ray was the key acquisition in the Doug Fister trade which is why Detroit traded Lombardozzi for Alex Gonzalez, a guy they cut less than two weeks later, after Iglesias got hurt.

Robbie Ray is a left handed starter who was projected to be at least a middle of the rotation guy, and so far in Triple A he hasn’t disappointed with a 1.59 era and 1.13 whip, which made him the easy choice to replace an injured Anibal Sanchez this coming Tuesday.